2021 Volkswagen Jetta

Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues

Service brakes is the leading concern among 69 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 26 Jetta model years with reports.

Complaints by model year
  1. 69

Of the 2021 reports, 3 involved a crash. 1 person was injured and 2 people died.

Primary concernService brakes26 reports · 38% of complaints
Owner complaints69Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship4 safety recallsNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Service brakes26
  2. Electrical system13
  3. Other or unspecified11
  4. Forward collision avoidance9
  5. Fuel/propulsion system9
  6. Air bags5
  7. Engine5
  8. Lane departure4

Recalls and investigations

  1. Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraJul 20, 2022

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.

    Campaign 22V514000 on NHTSA.gov

  2. Air bags, air bag/restraint control moduleJun 30, 2021

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jetta and Jetta GLI vehicles. The air bag control module was welded in the incorrect position.

    Incorrect positioning of the air bag control module can cause the vehicle's air bags to deploy improperly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, the vehicle's air bags can deploy unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CK.

    Campaign 21V492000 on NHTSA.gov

  3. SeatsFeb 1, 2021

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. Bolts may be missing from the front seat tracks.

    The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72L6.

    Campaign 21V038000 on NHTSA.gov

  4. Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraNov 18, 2020

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.

    Campaign 20V716000 on NHTSA.gov

Representative owner complaints: engine

5 reports, newest first. Show all

  1. Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 14, 2025

    Since January of 2024, I been having issues with this vehicle. Check engine light came on after 3 day of purchase I was told it needs to be reset. From there vehicle emissions valve failed, N80 valve, electronic module and now fuel injection

  2. Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Sep 19, 2024

    What system component failed or malfunctioned? Is it available for inspection upon request? The car boards are left inoperative. If the entire car loses power Don't grab the car How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I'm driving down the road and suddenly the car no longer works. It doesn't start and the drivers behind me have to avoid me. On many occasions I have had to leave the car on while I run errands because I have had to ask for help to turn it on, so I don't turn it off because I don't know if it will turn on again. And this is a dangerous practice since they can steal my car and what I have inside since I have to leave it on. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by an independent dealer or service center? Every time I bought it and took it to the dealer, they indicated a different fault. At first they indicated that it was the electrical part and they made changes to it. Then apparently it was the battery but it was not safe. They have taken it apart several times but have not been able to fix it, since each time it seems to have a different error. The last scan showed a ground short circuit. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? I have always taken the vehicle to the dealer who sold it to me. Were there warning lights, messages or other symptoms of the problem before the failure and when did they first appear? The first time he took it was because the dashboard went out, the electrical part was left not working. If you are unsure, simply indicate UNKNOWN and provide your best assessment of the incident and cause in your description.

  3. Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 16, 2023

    The car would not turn on while using the start/stop feature on three different occasions. Once at a stop sign when I wanted to reverse to make sure I was not pulled out too far into an intersection. I was stuck and could not get out of the way of a car coming. Each time I had to shut the vehicle off completely to restart the system.

  4. Engine, Feb 10, 2022

    The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

  5. Engine, Jun 28, 2021

    I've owned my car for 3 weeks and have driven it ~10 times in total. On 2 different occasions (most recently yesterday), it has stalled out while standing in traffic. On both occasions, it was a "soft stall" just as a vehicle with auto on/off would have. I had no warning lights, and wasn't even aware that the car had stalled until I put it in gear and began to let the clutch out, at which point I discovered that the engine was off.